POLL: Is LeBron James THE Greatest Athlete Ever?

Question, is LeBron James the greatest athlete ever to play sports in general?

He clearly is a dominant player in the NBA, but has the body and athleticism to dominate other sports i.e. Football.
Not to mention, his amazing run of games with the +30 points on 60% shooting this season. Likely to be the NBA regular season MVP, again.

This guy has amazing speed, tremendous lateral quicks, abnormal jumping ability, very strong. Just some amazing attributes, for a guy this tall, and this big.

James had quite the season last year by winning the scoring title and MVP honors. James then was named MVP of the NBA Finals after winning his first championship. He would later lead Team USA to Gold — James’ second — at the London Games. James enters his third season in Miami with a little less pressure on his shoulders after he carried the Heat at times during last year’s playoffs. In Game 4 against the Pacers and the Heat down 2-1, James’ went off by scoring 40 points with 18 rebounds as the Heat tied the series. Against Boston in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals, James scored 45 points with 15 rebounds and five assists to join Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to put up those numbers in an NBA playoff game.

I thought about mentioning him as the only guy who might be comparable...Because he's also a freak who's fairly big.

I still don't know though...If LeBron dedicated his life to sprinting, would he be as good as Bolt? And vice-versa if Bolt went for basketball? I feel like there's a bigger chance LeBron surpasses Bolt as a sprinter than Bolt does Lebron as a baller.

Lebron was a good football player in high school, but playing both football and basketball professionally is much more demanding physically and there is a far greater threat of an injury than playing baseball and an other sport. Are there any other multisport athletes left at an professional level?

Lebron was a good football player in high school, but playing both football and basketball professionally is much more demanding physically and there is a far greater threat of an injury than playing baseball and an other sport. Are there any other multisport athletes left at an professional level?

not that i know of. thus supporting my unfounded and completely unprovable claim that today's athletes are increasingly less athletic than those of previous generations.

what i do think... athlete's today ARE more athletic... that isn't up for debate... the level of resources available today would have been unheard of just a decade ago. the things a player like lebron can inject into his daily regimen would put him on superhuman levels compared to peak athletes in the 90s.

but players today lack a competitive fire that players from the 90s and earlier had. that i don't doubt one bit. for all of his athleticism, in the last minute of a game, i'd rather have reggie miller having the ball than lebron.

not that i know of. thus supporting my unfounded and completely unprovable claim that today's athletes are increasingly less athletic than those of previous generations.

ps. get off my lawn

Or you know, when a guy is already making $_____ (I don't even want to guess what LeBron is making in a year these days when you add endorsements) like LeBron is, there is pretty much no incentive to play a second sport.

Something to keep in mind...athletes made much less money on endorsements until the 90s. Branding is not nearly the same as it was when guys like Deion and Bo played multiple sports, and those guys were 2 very popular athletes. Even just making a second pro sports paycheck would probably have been hugely significant for them. Now? The 2nd paycheck would be basically meaningless to LeBron, and the risk of doing damage, either to his body or his image, and the impact that could have on his brand, is much too great to bother, I think.

Or you know, when a guy is already making $_____ (I don't even want to guess what LeBron is making in a year these days when you add endorsements) like LeBron is, there is pretty much no incentive to play a second sport.

Something to keep in mind...athletes made much less money on endorsements until the 90s. Branding is not nearly the same as it was when guys like Deion and Bo played multiple sports, and those guys were 2 very popular athletes. Even just making a second pro sports paycheck would probably have been hugely significant for them. Now? The 2nd paycheck would be basically meaningless to LeBron, and the risk of doing damage, either to his body or his image, and the impact that could have on his brand, is much too great to bother, I think.

ya that post was just meant as a joke. realistically i agree with you, which brings me to my second (more serious) point

in today's day and age, the priority of an "athlete" has shifted from competition to compensation.

do players care more about winning championships, or about the impact a championship would have on their brand?

To say that lebron can do what Vincent "Bo" Jackson did if he gave effort is a wishy washy statement.

The fact that Bo played football as a "hobby" and was great at it with out having to work out to keep in shape speaks volumes.

But LeBron was being scouted heavily by the NFL before he officially said he was going to play basketball. To say he can't do what Bo did is also kind of a wishy washy statement.

*also...wtf? Bo didn't work out to keep in shape? Is that why his careers were sidetracked by hip injuries? And I would argue that baseball was his hobby, considering he was a far more dominant football player until his hip injury.